Corpus
by Sweet Chariot
Summary: In an alternate universe, Godric is alive, sustained only by his simple love for a human.
1. Prologue

**This is my first True Blood story (as well as my first bit of fan fiction in five years), so reviews and constructive criticism are **_**greatly**_** appreciated! Enjoy!**

He heard nothing but his own breath, coming out in short and sharp rasps and mingling with the din of the fluorescent lights. He was momentarily livid, seeing something that he hadn't truly seen. A man hunched over a small girl, clawing at her clothes, shouting obscenities, promising horror. This was a scene he had witnessed before, and in watching these two bodies splayed out in that same familiar fashion, his mind involuntarily regressed back to that painful memory. But only for a moment. In as much time as it took him to forget his surroundings, he again remembered them.

He acted. He pounced. In an instant, the man was pulled off of the girl, dangling in the air by nothing more than his shirt collar. The monster was immediately reduced to a whimpering child, flaying about and begging for mercy. The girl, still in a state of shock on the floor, pushed herself up to better observe the commotion. He looked into her face and saw the array of emotions that played out deep within her. Confusion, disbelief, and finally understanding.

"Godric?" She asked.

He smiled.

The girl – Sookie, he knew – was undoubtedly comforted by her own comprehension of the situation, and began to gather herself, buttoning buttons and pulling up straps. Godric watched her with detached curiosity; he simply wanted to know that she was alright before he turned his attention back to the man who still struggled beside him. Gabe, they called him - big, lumbering, and brutish. Here was a man who used his size to get what he wanted, including, it seemed, sex. Godric was not pleased with this creature, and, despite his conscience, had every intention of ending his miserable life.

"She's alive," Gabe gasped, choking on his own heavy breaths. Godric's head snapped to attention, staring Gabe in the eye. "She's alive! She's in the woods!" He continued.

Sookie looked on in both horror and bewilderment, not knowing what Gabe was referring to nor what Godric planned to do next. The powerful vampire stared at the now weak human man, assessing his words. Godric's eyes were sharp and cold, both threatening and anxious at the same time. Was Gabe so desperate to live that he would lie to Godric? He must know that an unfulfilled truth, especially pertaining to this matter, would only bring him more physical pain. Godric had planned to make Gabe's death quick and easy, but if he continued to toy with Godric's emotions – well, there would be more than Hell to pay.

"Let me live and I'll take you to her!" Gabe pleaded, clawing at Godric's stony forearm. The boy felt like a cool rock covered in flesh. At that second, Godric made up his mind, knowing that he shouldn't hope but not being able to contain his ever-evolving humanity.

"If you're lying," Godric whispered. "I will kill you." Simply stated, but heavily enforced. Thousands of years of experience had taught Godric that he needn't be flashy or cruel to make his point. Humans knew that he was powerful simply by looking in his world-weary eyes.

Gabe's own eyes grew wide with horror before Godric carelessly tossed him to the ground, barking at him to hurry. The cowering human stumbled to the door as Godric followed, but the two men weren't able to take two steps before a tall, dark figure entered, his chest lightly heaving with emotion and exertion. Eric.

"Godric," the word was a prayer from Eric's lips; a whisper of devotion to his maker. Eric stared at Godric in wonder and awe, relieved by the older vampire's safety but knowing that there had never been a reason to doubt. He was nearly overwhelmed with the sense of solace that washed over him, coating his grief and worry like a salve. Unfortunately, Godric was too enthralled by his new quest to pay much attention to his beloved friend.

"Eric, get the human out of here." Godric commanded. Eric stared at him with incredulity. He had just arrived and he was already being pushed away?

"_Now_." Godric ordered. Eric shook himself free of his trance, looking around in a daze. Did he know where he was? Yes. He was with Godric, and, as he looked to his right, Sookie. As he helped Sookie to her feet, Eric felt a powerful gust of wind behind him and knew that his maker had left him alone with the girl.

Before Gabe could properly gather himself, Godric had grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and ran the two of them through the church, stopping in the middle of the woods. What fools these humans had been to think that they had contained a vampire as mighty as Godric. His ease of flight with Gabe was proof enough of how capable he was of escaping. Of course, nothing had compelled him to willingly leave – nothing until now.

"Where is she?" Godric growled, pushing Gabe forward into the crackling leaves.

"This way," Gabe sniveled, tumbling forward and struggling to maintain balance. It was plain to see that Gabe's fear of Godric was consuming him in every way, including his physical being. He was hunched over, crushed by the weight of his anxiety. Unable to contain his impatience, Godric caught Gabe by his shirt and spun him around, their faces nearly knocking into one another in the process.

"Just tell me where she is," Godric demanded, his voice dripping with urgency and anger.

"A mile down the road," Gabe said through his tears, throwing in pitiful pleas to live another day. "There's a toolshed – she's in there!" Godric stared Gabe in the eye a moment longer before bringing his fist to meet the man's nose. A loud crack resonated throughout the trees and Gabe fell backwards to the forest floor, knocked unconscious by the blow. Godric didn't care who or what found Gabe; he only cared about finding _her_.

He raced down the dusty path, the cold wind burning his skin like lashes from a whip. He didn't mind. He didn't feel them. He didn't feel anything but the longing in his heart and the tiny voice in his mind that cried out the word please over-and-over again. If there was no sign of life at the end of this road, Godric would find Gabe, and he would rip every limb from its socket. There would be no remorse.

A building emerged up ahead, and Godric flew to the door, only to find that it was sealed with silver chains and locks. Furious, he roared into the night, determined to find a way inside. Effortlessly, he pulled at the rotting wood planks and tore them from the structure, each discarded piece letting a little more moonlight into the shed. When at last he had removed an entire wall, he stepped inside and let his eyes rapidly adjust. He scanned the small space, taking in each inch that glowed eerily in the moon's rays. Bugs, dirt, weeds – he saw everything but the one thing that he had come looking for.

Until there, in the corner, a pearly patch of skin shone in the light. Godric was there in a second, kneeling next to a lifeless girl. Her hair was heavy and matted with dirt, and her body was frail and limp as Godric cradled her in his arms. A sob broke from his chest and blood poured from his eyes, pooling on the girl's pale flesh.

"Please, please," he pleaded with the prone form, desperately trying to shake a bit of life into her. To his amazement, her heavy eyelids fluttered open and two familiar green orbs stared back at him.

"Godric," she whispered, her voice raspy and weak.

Godric was doused in pure elation, smiling through the bloody tears that covered his face. In an instant, he was digging his fangs into his flesh, filling the shed with the sound of a sharp tearing. He frantically, clumsily in his joy, offered his arm to the girl, and she sucked greedily on his rich blood, never breaking eye contact. The more she drank, the stronger she became, her skin warming against his own.

Godric never took his eyes from hers, afraid that one faulty glance would steal her away from him again. Yet the vampire was aware of Eric's presence as he hovered on the outside of the toolshed; he was aware of the questioning and jealousy that filled his friend's heart. He was also aware of Sookie's approach, her heavy human feet crunching the fallen leaves as she ran towards them. She stopped beside Eric and looked on in wonder, perplexed by the intimacy of the moment. The two figures in the corner hadn't changed positions, and the girl still drank heavily from Godric's arm, all the while thanking him with her eyes.

"Who is she?" Eric asked to no one in particular, knowing that Godric wouldn't answer, and thinking that Sookie wouldn't know.

But Sookie knew.

She knew the instant she saw the two, their bodies so close together that they were sure to merge into one being at any moment. She knew when she saw the focus that the girl held for Godric. She knew when she saw the tears of sadness and then joy that drenched Godric's face and stained his clothes.

"She's his human."


	2. He Who Judges

**I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and support! They mean the world to me and encourage me to keep writing. I've never read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books and am thus basing all of my information off of the show, so please tell me if I need to change anything! Enjoy!**

Four years earlier.

The air was thick with the smell of food and drink as Godric slid into an empty booth. His hand stuck to the cheap red plastic and he cringed, but only inwardly. How long had it been since he'd shown emotion on his face? Outward emotions were a human condition that were shown for the benefit of others. No one would notice if he recoiled; no one would care.

This was the life that Godric now lived: a jaded existence of sleep, duty, and the occasional feeding. He resigned himself to the most basic of needs; he had to sleep and eat, just as he had to work. As sheriff of his district, Godric held a vast amount of responsibility on his small shoulders – responsibility that he no longer wanted. To him, there was no purpose to life, and thus no purpose to work. He had seen so much in his time, from pain and suffering to triumph and joy. Yet there was never a reason for any of it; no matter what, people died.

Godric envied the dead. He knew everything there was to know of the world. He knew every famous landmark, every capital, every equation, every language, every work of literature. He knew everything – everything but death. The mystery of death lurked over his shoulder, constantly baiting and teasing him. He had long ago learned that the fragility of human life culminated in death, and this was why he had pushed humans away. He couldn't remember the last mortal he had talked to, let alone loved.

A plate shattered nearby and Godric awoke from his daze, remembering himself and his surroundings. It was late, and for some reason, his fellow sheriff had suggested that they meet at this location. It was nothing more than a diner, decaying and greasy. There were stains on the counters and neon lights buzzing all around him, promising warm food and good service. In another time, Godric would have been amused at the state of this eatery. Some would balk at the mess and call it unsanitary. Oh if only they could see the things that he had seen; if only they could live a fraction of his life.

A waitress approached, thin and blond, and asked him what he'd like to drink.

"Nothing," Godric replied calmly, looking her in the eye. "I'm waiting for someone." She hesitated, wondering if there was something wrong with him. He looked rather sickly, hunched over and pale as snow against the bright red of the booth. But Godric could never be sickly, even if he tried.

He let his eyes follow her figure back to the counter before scanning the other occupants of the restaurant. A man sat two booths down from him, reading a paper and smoking cigarette after cigarette. He was exceptionally ordinary, wearing thick-framed glasses and a clean, plain oxford. Godric glanced past the man and saw a group of young girls huddled in a corner. They were chatting and laughing, and Godric wondered how many boys would love to be in his position. Males, it seemed, loved to watch women more than anything – especially more than talking to them. Godric was sure that he had lusted after – and conquered – many women in his lifetime, but he couldn't think of a single one at that moment. Those days were long since past, as if part of another life.

Godric studied the girls and wondered which one he would feed on if given the chance. The pretty redhead? She smiled too much. The freckled brunette? Too desperate for attention. The plain girl? What about her? She was so unlike her friends, sitting almost completely still as they chatted around her. She grinned from time-to-time but did little else. Pale, short, round – she was unexceptional in every way save her saucer like green eyes that made her look like a curious, quiet owl. As Godric observed her, she lifted her head and met his eyes. Godric didn't flinch. He was used to people staring at his odd façade. And so the two sat calmly in their separate corners of the diner, watching one another with a bored regard.

The door opened and Godric pulled his eyes from the girl to see his companion enter. Sheriff Boyd was Godric's opposite in every way possible: he was loud, vulgar, and full of life. But he was also kind and honest, and for that, Godric admired him. Without a word, the tall man sat down across from Godric and smiled before slapping the table and startling a nearby waitress.

"Tru Blud, dear!" he beckoned in his deep baritone. "I don't care which type. Surprise me!" he said, waggling his eyebrows for emphasis. The waitress nodded shyly before hurrying off to the kitchen, no doubt anxious to share the news of their vampire patrons. Vampires had been "out" in society for such a short period of time that some humans still found it hard to adjust to their coexistence with bloodsuckers. They considered vampires to be ancient myths, barbaric and cruel. At one time in history, that may have been true. But as it was today, most vampires were highly sophisticated when compared to their mortal counterparts.

"Godric!" Boyd bellowed. "You don't look a day over 20." Godric smirked only to please Boyd. He had known his fellow sheriff for 120 years – since Boyd's transition into vampirehood - and felt that anyone as decent as Boyd was worthy of a simple smile. Godric reflected on the people that Boyd had both spared and saved in his lifetime, and knew that he only agreed to such a suspicious rendezvous because he genuinely trusted this man.

Before either vampire could go on, a squeal resounded through the restaurant and three waitresses hurried to their table.

"Excuse me," began one, fixing her glasses and patting her hair. "But is it true that…" She trailed off and Godric sighed as Boyd laughed.

"Are we vampires?" he provided the question for her, causing her to nervously bob her head up and down. Boyd chuckled again, this time to himself, and nodded back at the girl. Godric may have hated the attention that came with being a vampire, but Boyd relished it; anything to make new friends.

As the girls giggled and asked questions of the younger vampire, Godric noticed the reactions of the other diners. Many people had turned to stare, most of them carrying looks of displeasure and downright disgust. Some humans were still skeptical of the existence of vampires, and others simply hated them for being different. How human to distrust the unknown. Godric wanted to avoid any sort of commotion at all cost, but rearing in Boyd was a near-impossible challenge, even for someone as experienced as Godric.

"That's disgusting," an older woman said before throwing a few dollars on her table and leaving.

"They shouldn't be allowed to eat here," said the pretty redhead in the corner, and her freckly friend nodded in agreement. The other girl – the plain one – simply looked. She held neither curiosity nor distaste, and for a brief moment, Godric was comforted by her stony demeanor. He saw a bit of himself in her. But before long, the entire establishment was buzzing with chatter – a mingling of angry shouts and eager inquiries. A fat man squeezed out of his booth to jeer at the two, while a young couple threw vicious stares in their direction. Boyd, too, had become aware of the pandemonium and seemed anxious to leave before things became violent. He was ultimately a peacemaker, never wanting to cause trouble or pain. Part of Godric longed to be like Boyd; to have a noble spirit or, at the least, a cause. For the time being, though, Godric was nothing more than apathetic, neither savage nor sweet.

"We should go," Godric said under his breath, knowing that Boyd's sensitive ears would hear him through the chaos. Boyd nodded before rising to his feet and following Godric to the exit.

"Bloodsuckers!" shouted the redhead, smiling at her own boldness. No doubt she would brag about this to her friends, maybe even her parents. They would praise her for standing up to that vampire scum, just as they had taught her to.

Both vampires turned to stare at the girl. She flinched but didn't look away, throwing her shoulders back in quiet triumph. Boyd laughed, amused at the manner in which people seemed to raise their children. Godric, on the other hand, frowned. He wasn't sad, but rather angered by the girl's perception of him. How many centuries had he lived? How much more did he know than this simple child? It didn't seem right or fair to allow such behavior from someone so young, and for the first time in a long time, the beast inside Godric began to rage. All of his pent-up frustration teetered on the edge of his sanity, and this girl's words gently pushed him over.

Godric released his fangs with a snap.


	3. He Who Believes

**Again, thank you for the wonderful reviews! And thank you to my friend Maryam, who has edited all of my chapters (and put up with my crap). I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, so let me know if you have anything in mind. And of course, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

The restaurant erupted in chaos as the patrons ran forward to defend the girl, but they weren't fast enough. Godric was at her side in a second, his hand clenching her throat and his fangs glistening in the light. The screaming and noise were a mere buzzing in his ears, drowned out by the rage that filled his senses. He studied the girl carefully as she quivered in his grip; she was so young, so fresh. He could drain her entire being in mere minutes and feel no remorse for what he had done. Who was this child to question his presence? To call him a foul name? She was a fool, and her death would be a favor to the world.

Godric felt Boyd's presence over his shoulder and knew that his fellow sheriff was trying to calm the crowd. If Boyd believed that Godric would truly hurt the girl, he would have attempted to pry him off of her rather than reason with a group of ignorant humans. The fact that Boyd was so confident in Godric's self-restraint gave Godric reason to pause, and he felt his insides churning, as if his emotions had taken hold of his physical being. He stared deeply into the girl's blue eyes as she whimpered and writhed, choking out desperate sobs. He wanted so badly to see his own life, his own human form, reflected in her gaze. Instead Godric saw only a monster, cruel and unyielding. It had taken him one millisecond to regress a thousand years.

"You don't have to do this," a clear voice broke through the clamor and startled Godric back to reality. He looked up with incredulity to find the source. It was the plain girl, standing still as a statue beside an overturned table. Had Godric done that? Was he such a careless beast?

"You don't have to do this," she said again, staring intently into his eyes. She was so calm and assured, as if she had known Godric her entire life. "You have a choice. You can choose to stop."

She was right; Godric knew this. Even if he wasn't entirely human, there was still some fraction of him that lived as a human did. He breathed, he walked, he talked, he did, he thought, he felt. And that human inside of him was telling him to stop; telling him to listen to the girl and make the right choice. Centuries ago, he would have continued with his feeding. But in Godric's own personal evolution, he was no longer an animal who hunted to survive. His humanity gave him the ability to rationalize and, what's more, empathize with his victim.

Godric slowly loosened his hold on the girl until she was able to break free. She ran from him with a gasp, finding solace in the arms of the girl who had spoken to him. The two stared at him in horror and wonder; the entire diner had stopped shouting and held their breaths, wondering what the volatile vampire would do next. They may have been idiots, but they were smart enough to know that they could never physically overpower him.

"I think you should go," one of the waitresses suggested meekly. Godric looked to Boyd and saw his friend shake his head in agreement, knowing that he must be embarrassed by the ordeal. A sense of shame fell over Godric as he turned towards the door, his fangs retracting back into his mouth. As he followed Boyd out into the night, he looked over his shoulder towards the girl who had encouraged him to stop. She stood by herself now, having handed off the redhead to their other friend. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but she didn't look upset. No, she looked intrigued, as if the situation had been nothing more than a science experiment. Godric tried to show his appreciation to the girl through his eyes, but he wondered if he even remembered how to exhibit positive emotions anymore.

X X X

Boyd tried his best to calm Godric down, but he knew that the older vampire wouldn't need comfort; he would need solitude. After half-listening to Boyd explain that they would save their discussion for another night, Godric left him at a street corner and turned down a dark avenue. Godric knew he should have felt guilty for the way he treated his dear friend, but he couldn't muster the energy to care. As ancient as he was, physical activities took more of a toll on Godric than on younger vampires. He was stronger and faster than any creature he had ever encountered, yet each bodily feat left him drained and cold.

As he walked on, unaware of his surroundings, Godric thought of the events that had transpired not thirty minutes earlier. Had he really lost control? He couldn't recall the last time he had behaved in such a fashion, yet his behavior almost made sense. Godric was weary of both the world and its people, and he knew himself well enough to know that his apathetic attitude could lead to a destructive one. If he didn't care for anything, he could destroy everything. Then he thought of the girl, so brave and unflinching. Her eyes had glimmered like green flames as she spoke to Godric, and he wondered how she had been able to convince him to stop; to convince him to care.

Up ahead, a trash can rumbled in an alley and Godric snapped to attention. He was still on the defensive from the diner, suspicious of everything and everyone. He surveyed his environment and realized that he was somewhere new. The street was dark and deserted, save a few stray animals rummaging through the garbage. Anyone else may have been scared, but he had faced enough in his lifetime to know that he could conquer any foe in any setting. He hunched his shoulders and continued on, calmly placing his hands in his pockets. He would need another hour or two to collect himself, and looked forward to the long walk ahead of him. He would put his existence in perspective and try to make sense of his emptiness.

A scream broke through the night and Godric froze. His ears perked and he wondered if he had truly heard a noise or had simply been reliving a moment from his past. Another scream echoed through an adjacent alley; this was real. Godric stayed still, listening to the commotion. His senses deciphered two bodies in a struggle, one overpowering the other. He heard the clarity of flesh being pressed against brick, of bones hitting bones in an attempt to break free. Did he dare help? Godric knew that he could diffuse the situation in seconds, yet he remained unmoving. He owed nothing to these strangers, especially after he had been judged so harshly at the restaurant. The victim in the alley could very likely spit on Godric even after he had helped to save his or her life. That was how humans acted towards vampires; that was how cruel they could be.

Blood slowly churned through Godric's body and he instantly thought of the strange girl. Blood. Blood flowed through her just as it flowed through him. It sustained them both – connected to them to one another. For a split second, she had made Godric feel human again, and he couldn't help but wonder how many other people were capable of treating him as well. _They're not all the same_, he thought to himself. With those words ringing in his ears, Godric moved. He zoomed towards the alley and stopped at the mouth, his eyes drinking in the scene. An old street lamp illuminated the image of a man – a man from the diner – straddling a girl on the ground, his hands clasped firmly around her neck. Her body twitched and kicked as she struggled to release his hold, and her mouth made pitiful rasps and chokes as air struggled to get in and out. She opened her eyes and scanned the ground, hoping to find a weapon to use against her attacker. She stopped searching when her gaze rested on Godric, and he inhaled sharply at the sight of two familiar green eyes.


	4. He Who Saves

The night was suddenly electric and alive, fed by the anger that radiated off of Godric's body. He wouldn't stifle his rage this time, not when it was directed at such a worthy foe. Godric's mind filled with images of this man in pieces, his head severed from his body, his blood draining from his neck. His primal instincts took over as he descended on the attacker, pulling him off of the girl in one fluid motion. He grasped the man's neck with one hand and slowly dragged him into the air until his feet dangled above the ground. The man fought back to no avail, desperately trying to loosen the vampire's hold. Godric matched each of his fingers to a bone in the man's neck and began to squeeze, relishing the faint cracking noise that the pressure produced.

"Stop!" There was that voice again, clear and sure. Godric whipped his head around to find the girl in an upright position, her back against a wall and her knees pulled to her chest. She seemed completely oblivious to the blood that dripped from her nose onto her shirt; she was too focused on Godric and the scene that had unfolded in mere seconds. Godric looked from the girl to the man, wondering why she sought salvation for such a vile creature. He had attacked her, and yet she wanted him to live.

"Please stop," she said, a few stray tears streaming down her cheeks. "He may be a bad person, but that doesn't mean he deserves to die. And if you kill him, the police will know, and they'll come looking for you."

"They won't find me," Godric responded quickly, surprised at his ease with the girl. She let out a shaky breath and wiped at the tears on her face.

"No, maybe they won't, but they'll know it was a vampire. Please, please don't do this. I know there's a human inside of you, I know that you're not a beast. Don't take someone else's life."

Godric had turned his head away from the girl, his focus directed on a random patch of pavement. The man still struggled in his grip, but Godric barely heard him over the girl's pleas. She sounded so young and vulnerable, yet so wise and certain. What compelled this girl to show mercy? Godric was curious more than anything, wondering if his inner humanity would ever allow him to be so benevolent. Perhaps this moment was a good test of his true character; perhaps he really was more human than vampire.

Godric looked to the man again and saw triumph in his eyes, as if he knew that the girl was going to get her way. Godric had decided that he wouldn't kill the man, but that didn't mean he couldn't hurt him. Tightening his hold, Godric lifted his victim higher into the air before hurtling him into a row of trash cans. The cans clashed and rumbled and then fell silent, the man's body slumped in an unconscious heap on the ground.

"Thank you," the girl whispered. Godric turned to face her but didn't approach, weary of her perception of him.

"Are you injured?" he asked, his accent thick and indistinguishable. Godric had many homes and many origins, and his voice was evidence of this.

"Just my nose," she responded, wiping at the dried blood and examining her hand. "It isn't bad."

The two sat in silence, Godric's eyes heavily focused on the tiny figure in front of him. She didn't look up from her hand but instead pretended to study her fingers, as if she were suddenly shy of his presence. He longed to see those green eyes again; perhaps they would provide some answers. But instead he could only decipher a pale face, framed by a thick curtain of long, dark hair. Her eyelashes fanned out over her cheeks, and her mouth was small and pink, but as Godric had noted earlier, she was rather unexceptional. Her body was full and soft, but not heavy, although he knew that people of this time lived by a different set of standards. He wondered about her family, her friends – wondered if she was popular, friendly, smart. What did she do for fun? What made her smile? Godric was perplexed at his own inquisitiveness, but quickly wrote it off as nothing more than an odd manifestation of his gratitude for her earlier actions.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Eve," she replied, finally meeting his gaze. They stared at one another for a minute or two, both wondering what would happen next. Godric spoke first, knowing that his level of experience far outweighed hers. Girls of this age, even the intelligent ones, could be exceedingly uncomfortable in such atmospheres.

"Do you live nearby?" he inquired, and she nodded a silent yes. "Please, let me escort you home." She hesitated before again silently agreeing. Godric knew that she was undoubtedly battling with herself, weighing the pros and cons of trusting a vampire. He had saved her, this was true, but he had done so with extreme force and brutality.

Eve used the support of the brick wall to pull herself to her feet, the dirt and pavement crackling under her heels. She took a moment to steady herself before taking a step towards Godric's still form. He absorbed every movement, hoping to catch any injury or complication that she may have missed. Yet aside from her befuddled demeanor, she seemed to be the same girl that he had seen in the restaurant. Godric reveled in her resilience, never being much of a caretaker. He followed her lead as she stepped out of the alley onto a well-lit road, hoping they would have a fair amount of time to converse. He was suddenly swelling with questions for her.

"Did you know that man?" Godric asked, calmly clasping his arms behind his back as the two started up a steep hill. He easily kept pace with her short legs, inwardly amused at how petite she was.

"No," Eve answered quickly. "Well, I noticed him earlier at the diner, but I'd never seen him before then. I knew people could respond violently, but I'd never been attacked before. I should have been more prepared."

"Respond?" Godric wondered.

"Respond to…" she trailed off and looked to Godric, hoping the answer would go without saying. He casually arched a questioning eyebrow and she sighed. "The incident earlier."

Godric frowned at Eve out of both distress and intrigue. He knew the girl acted of her own free will, but some part of him felt guilty for requiring her aid in the diner. If he had remained calm, she wouldn't have had to reason with him in front of the other patrons. Yet he couldn't understand why she was fearful of telling him this. Was she trying to protect him?

"I apologize for that," Godric began, but Eve refused to let him continue.

"Don't. Those people were out of line – they had no right to say those things to you. They don't realize that vampires are just like humans, but they're unpredictable when they're upset. They can't control themselves as well…" She trailed off again, shyly smiling at her own words. She was suddenly self conscious, realizing that she was preaching to a vampire about his own behavior. Godric was too charmed by her momentary passion and enthusiasm to mind; each word piqued his interest, and he was anxious to hear more.

"Why are you so eager to defend us?" Godric asked as they turned down a new street. Eve's eyes glowed fiercely for a moment before she answered.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," she said, changing the subject. "My friend wasn't brought up like I was. Her parents detest anything with fangs, and that includes bats." Godric smiled at her joke but felt a sting of annoyance at her avoidance of his question. Each answer seemed to produce 10 more questions.

"Let's agree that we're both sorry," Godric offered, and Eve nodded in assent. "I behaved like an animal. I shouldn't have attacked, despite what your friend said."

"Thank you," Eve replied. "But I can't say that I blame you. I know it's not easy to deal with the constant ridicule and rejection of society." Godric examined her face as she spoke, again confused at her words. He wanted to know why this human could be so sure of a vampire's actions and lifestyle. He resolved to let the manner lie for now, certain that she would explain in her own time.

"Still, I can't help but feel responsible," Godric said. "Assuming that the man attacked for that reason."

"He did," Eve responded, sensing the questioning in Godric's tone. "I was taking the alley as a shortcut, and he came up behind me shouting curse words and calling me a fangbanger. Before I knew what was happening, he had me pinned on the ground."

"And how did you injure your nose?" he asked.

"He slapped me – hard – and said that he'd give me something real to cry about."

Godric cringed at her words. He knew he had saved her from a much crueler fate, yet something inside still gnawed at what little was left of his conscience. Godric couldn't recall the last time that a fellow vampire, let alone a human, had sacrificed their own safety for him. For the first time in a long time, he felt more than apathy towards the world; he felt appreciation and indebtedness.

"Why would you do all of this for me, Eve?" he asked, letting the feel of her name linger on his tongue. "What do you owe me?"

She sighed heavily and looked off into the distance, hoping for a distraction. None came and Godric felt the resignation emanate off her body. She wasn't going to hide from his question; she was going to give Godric an answer. They stopped in the middle of a suburban street, the night empty and quiet aside from the drone of the street lamps. Eve faced Godric and he prepared himself for her revelation; he couldn't fathom her having a secret worthy of all of this anxiety and preparation. Eve squared her shoulders and finally met Godric's stare, her eyes now dull and nervous.

"Because," she said. "My father is a vampire."


	5. He Who Listens

**Sorry I've been a bit slow with my chapters! My editor has been super busy, so I'm kind of doing everything on my own. I'm so glad that you guys are liking the story – I hope I can keep up with your expectations! Enjoy!**

"What?" The word was a quiet breath from Godric's lips, his voice smothered by incomprehension. He quickly racked his brain in hopes of making sense of the situation; he knew that there were a dozen variables to consider, and that the idea of a vampire parent wasn't completely impossible. Yet in all his years on this Earth, he had never once encountered such a being.

"My father is a vampire," Eve repeated, shyly studying Godric's expression. He had learned to disguise his true feelings behind a mask of indifference, but some reactions simply couldn't be controlled. She sighed at the puzzlement on his face, obviously having encountered this problem before.

"I know this sounds crazy," she continued. "But he was turned after I was born – long after, actually."

"When?" Godric asked, his voice little more than a whisper. His calm demeanor was gone, replaced by an intense fascination. He leaned in closer to Eve, as if examining a fine work of art. He didn't want to miss a single detail.

"Two years ago," she kicked a pebble across the road and watched it roll before turning her face back to Godric. He began to walk and she followed suit, the two of them suddenly anxious of one another. Through his incredulity, Godric sensed that Eve was longing for his approval – longing for him to believe her. Again, he wondered at her motives, ever leery of even the kindest human.

"He lives with you?" he asked, sliding his hands into his pockets in hopes of portraying a placid attitude. It didn't work.

"He does," Eve answered, mimicking Godric's slow strides. "A few years ago, before he was turned, he had a drinking problem. My parents would fight into the early hours of the morning about it, and dad would always end up leaving. We never knew where he went, but he always came back calmer, happier – like he was a different man."

She paused and Godric encouraged her to continue.

"One night, I heard his car pull into the drive earlier than usual and I expected him to enter as he always did: happy, light, carefree. But I knew something was wrong the second I saw him. He was pale as a ghost, and his skin was stretched over his bones, as if he had been starving for weeks. He looked at me, and his eyes – I'll never forget his eyes. They were hollow and red, like rubies without the sparkle."

Godric thought of the hundreds of newborn vampires he had seen in his lifetime. They were just as Eve had described her father: gaunt, ghostly, haunting. Of course Godric knew that every vampire's personality was different, but most freshly turned vampires couldn't control the beast that now raged within them. They were concerned with one thing and one thing only: blood.

"Did you know he was a vampire?" Godric asked. Eve responded in the strangest way: she laughed.

"Of course not!" Her smile was manic and stifled. She was trying to make light of the situation, but Godric knew that the memories pained her. "I would never have guessed that my father was a vampire! This was before vampires were out in society – this was when you were still a myth." Her smile faded with her last few words and she stared at Godric meaningfully, almost apologetically. He smiled at her constant vigilance for both his physical and mental well-being.

"I thought he had simply had an especially bad night," she continued. "He was breathing heavily and walking with a limp, like maybe he had been in a fight. But when I asked what was wrong, he just stared at me. He didn't seem to know who I was."

"Did he attack you?" Godric wondered aloud, and Eve shook her head. Her eyes were distant; she had transported herself back to that moment.

"He sat down beside me at the kitchen table and told me to bring him the steak from the freezer. I just blinked at him in confusion, and when I didn't move, he slapped the table and yelled at me."

"Were you frightened?"

"No," she replied, surprised at her own answer. "I've always been close to my father, and even as he was doing all of this, I knew that he wasn't upset or dangerous. I just felt an overwhelming sense of…_urgency_. Like something terrible was going to happen if I didn't listen to him."

"What did you do?" Godric asked, relieved at the words that were flowing from Eve's mouth. All of the pieces of the evening were falling together; everything was beginning to make sense.

"I obeyed," she said. A raccoon made a racket nearby and Eve started at the noise, taking a step closer to Godric. She was still shaken by the night and the beings that lurked within it. Her proximity allowed Godric to catch a taste of her scent: soap, sweat, flowers. Blood.

"You're safe," The words slipped from Godric's mouth before he could contain them. He hadn't meant to comfort Eve, especially in the midst of such an intense conversation. Yet something inside of Godric was digging its way up from the deepest depths of his core, fighting to reach the surface; something that longed to protect the fragility of a human life. She smiled at him and relaxed her shoulders, taking a deep breath before continuing with her story.

"When I brought him the steak, he tore into it like a starving animal. But he didn't chew or swallow – he just let it sit in his mouth, like he was trying to suck out all of the blood. I didn't know what to do. I was so scared, so confused. I just stood there and stared, wondering if I was in a dream." She paused then, stopping in the middle of the street and turning towards a small brick house. Godric's eyes followed her line of vision as she watched a silhouette in the front window, illuminated by the blue glow of a television screen. This was her home, and the figure inside was undoubtedly her father.

Eve swallowed nervously and turned an apprehensive gaze towards Godric.

"This is it," she said. Her body suddenly radiated uncertainty, tensing like a cornered cat. Godric couldn't understand why Eve would be so hesitant to return home, but more so than that, he couldn't understand why he, too, felt a pang of uneasiness. He was sheriff of these parts, and thus had control over every vampire in the area. He mentally shuffled through the members of his precinct and found the cause of his worry: he knew of no vampire with children. He was perturbed by his own inattentiveness, wondering why he hadn't made the connection earlier. Was Eve's father really a vampire? Or was he something more?

Before either of them could say another word, the figure in the window darted to the front door, throwing it open with a roar. A strip of yellow fluorescence spilled into the dark blue of the evening, glowing like a spotlight over Godric and Eve. The being was tall and willowy, his cheeks hollow and transparent. His face held the same green eyes as Eve's, and they were filled with venom.

"Eve," the man whispered through his rage. "Get in the house."


	6. He Who Forgives

**Here's a longer chapter for you guys – the writing bug has obviously hit me hard! Let me know what you think! Enjoy! **

The two men studied each other intently, one with a calm regard, the other with unadulterated rage. Godric immediately sensed that Eve's father was indeed a vampire, down to his blood red core. He had the unmistakable scent of death that brewed just below the surface of a vampire's pale skin, never quite powerful enough to consume the entire being. Godric could never shake the memory of his first encounter with his own vampiric form: the cold stone mingling with the fiery hunger.

"Dad, please," Eve began before she was quickly cut off by her father.

"Inside. _Now_." The last word was a growl, a classic threat from parent to child. Eve stayed still beside Godric, her face frightened yet obstinate.

"Let me explain," she offered, and her father shook his head, his eyes never leaving Godric. Godric stared back quietly, an almost bored expression plastered on his face. He feared no other vampire, certainly not one as young as Eve's father. Younger vampires tended to be clumsy and reckless, like a young coyote learning to fend for itself.

"Explain what?" her father asked, hunching his shoulders and readying himself for battle. "Explain how you've been out all damn night with some boy?" He gestured towards Godric, and the reasoning behind his rage became clear. He believed Godric to be nothing more than a young boy, seducing his daughter into the night. His anger was seemingly unrelated to the fact that Godric was a vampire.

"Dad, when was the last time you ate?" Eve asked, her voice tinged with annoyance. She was clearly more than a daughter to this man: she was a caretaker as well.

"Don't think that has anything to do with my mood," he replied, his eyes finally leaving Godric's unshaken face to rest on Eve's troubled one. "You know the rules of this house."

"Dad, please. This is…" Eve began to introduce Godric before she realized that she had never asked him for his name. She looked to him for help with an uneasy smile.

"Godric," he supplied. Eve's smile relaxed, comforted by the word. Perhaps this made him more real, more human.

"Godric," whispered Eve's father, and the two looked at him with startled curiosity. The man was instantly transformed by Godric's name, his shoulders sagging as the anger drained from his body. He was at the older vampire's feet in a second, kneeling before him and begging for forgiveness. Godric looked from father to daughter, his bewildered expression reflected on Eve's face. The man had clearly heard of Godric and his position as sheriff, even if Godric knew nothing of him.

"Please, sir," he groveled at Godric's feet, his voice cracking with emotion as he pressed his palms and knees further into the pavement. "Please forgive my impertinence."

"There is nothing to forgive," Godric said, at a loss of how to respond to the situation. Vampires were typically proud creatures, stubborn and bullish. Any vampire would be too prideful to cower at the feet of another, even a sheriff. Seeing Eve's father like this, Godric felt a sort of responsibility towards him, especially after what Eve had done for him. He owed this man an explanation, training, _something_. Yet some part of him reasoned that nothing he did could be as valuable as Eve's assistance.

"What is going on?" Eve whispered, her green eyes hazy with confusion.

"Eve!" Her father snapped, whipping his head in her direction. "Do not address the sheriff unless he addresses you first!"

"Sheriff?" Eve asked quietly, looking not at her father but at Godric. Her expression was accusing, as if he had kept a secret from her. Godric was befuddled by the scene, amusement warring with worry. He was highly entertained by Eve's father and his behavior; Godric couldn't remember the last time someone had treated him with such reverence. Yet he feared that he had offended Eve by not sharing this information with her. Before he had learned of her father's condition, his position as sheriff had been insignificant to Eve's world. Godric belatedly found comfort in this lack of expectations – this lack of roles that he was forced to play.

"Please," Godric began. "Why don't we discuss this inside?"

Before Eve could answer, her father was on his feet, nodding enthusiastically and beckoning Godric forward with his arms. Godric hesitated, allowing Eve to break her stare and follow her father inside.

"Come in, come in!" the man encouraged. Godric smiled at the change in his demeanor: he had gone from snarling beast to sniveling coward to eager child in the span of 5 minutes. Where once Godric had expected him to attack, he now expected him to sprinkle rose petals at his feet.

"Tru Blud, sir?" her father asked, wringing his hands together nervously. In the light of the house, Godric could see his face more clearly. He was even more pallid than Godric had initially noted, his veins showing through his skin like blue threads through a thin gauze. Yet his smile was warm and welcoming, accentuated by a dimple in either sunken cheek. Godric was alarmed at how similar his eyes were to Eve's: green and lucid, glowing from within.

"No, thank you…" Godric trailed off, waiting for a proper introduction.

"Jack," the man supplied, smiling broadly and flashing his pearly teeth.

Godric smiled in return and surveyed the small house, taking in every detail in a matter of seconds. His eyes deciphered wood floors, open space, brick walls, and books – hundreds upon hundreds of books stuffed into shelves, corners, and every other available nook and cranny. Despite the clutter, the air was fresh and clean, the smell of soap mingling with bleach. Flames danced in a large fireplace beside a TV, a small dent left in the overstuffed leather couch that Jack had been sitting on. The warmth of this space was a stark contrast to Godric's own nest, decked in silvers, blacks, and minimalistic furnishings. He breathed in the comforting air, savoring the feel of being in a home rather than a house.

His eyes rested on Eve, her body tense and unmoving. She cowered in a corner, trying her best to blend into the wall. Normally Godric would write this behavior off as a condition of her age, but there was something troubling about her manner. Where was the girl who had saved him in the diner? Where was the girl who had talked so animatedly about her father? Human emotions were volatile, Godric knew this, but he couldn't understand why Eve's were especially troubling, nor why he cared. She looked up then, her eyes tense and glassy. She smiled a tight lipped smile at Godric, two dimples forming in her cheeks just like her father's.

"Why don't we go into the kitchen?" Jack asked, breaking the tension between the two. Godric slowly tore his gaze from Eve and nodded at Jack's question, hesitating before he followed him into the next room.

"You're unwell?" Godric asked Eve in a hushed voice, stopping her in the hallway. He knew that Jack's senses would allow him to hear even the faintest whisper, but he hoped his tone would indicate that the conversation was private, the question meant for Eve's ears alone.

"I'm just nervous," she replied meekly, meeting his eyes. The narrowness of the area forced their bodies closer together, their arms brushing against one another. "It's not like I bring a vampire home every night."

Godric nodded at her statement, hoping that his presence wasn't putting a strain on the relationship between Eve and her father. He stood still a moment longer, studying her expression, enjoying the warmth of her skin against the chill of his own. She blanched under his scrutiny, and he pulled back, allowing her to enter the kitchen before him. Like the rest of the house, the room was cozy and clean, small but comfortable. The two men sat across from each other at the wooden table, Eve pulling out a chair to sit between them. Godric laced his fingers and arched an eyebrow at Jack, waiting for the inevitable barrage of apologies and questions.

"I am truly sorry for my behavior, sheriff," Jack began, using both hands to add emphasis to his words.

"Please, call me Godric," the older vampire said, causing Jack to let out a sigh of wonder. "And there is truly no need to apologize. I am your sheriff – not your king." Jack choked out a tiny laugh, believing that Godric was simply being merciful. Eve cleared her throat and both men turned in her direction, Jack catching the hint to contain his excitement. Godric could sense the strong bond between the two, wondering if he had ever been able to communicate with another person without words. No one came to mind.

"Thank you, sir," Jack said before correcting himself. "I mean, _Godric_." He let out another short, giddy laugh before continuing. "Please, tell me what brings you to our humble home this evening." Eve rolled her eyes at her father's formality, but Godric smiled, quietly flattered by the man's admiration. The vampires he knew only treated him with such respect when they were in trouble, like a child caught in the act.

"Jack, your daughter saved my life tonight," Godric said quickly, his smile replaced with a stoic tranquility. Jack's eyebrows lifted towards his dark hairline, his eyes darting from Godric to Eve. She began to shake her head, believing herself unworthy of the praise, but Godric spoke again before she could interrupt.

"It's true. There was an…_altercation_ at a local diner, and had it not been for your daughter's assistance, I would have done something highly regrettable."

"But I didn't save your life," Eve argued, her eyes challenging his words. "_You_ saved _mine_."

"Perhaps," Godric replied, enjoying Eve's unfounded humbleness. "But you truly did save my life, Eve. There are consequences to killing a human – consequences that not even I am immune to." Jack drank in the scene between the two, both excited and perplexed by the conversation. He opened his mouth to ask for an explanation but was stopped by Godric; he didn't dare interrupt his sheriff.

"Speaking of consequences, Jack, I wonder why I've never met you before now. I was under the impression that I knew every vampire in the area." Jack swallowed at Godric's words, unsure if he was being condemned for his actions. Godric's tone had remained pleasant, yet his words were accusatory.

"About that, sir," Jack said, resting his elbows on the table as he searched for the right words. He didn't bother to correct himself, too consumed by his quest to find a proper explanation.

"There's no need to be anxious," Godric reassured him, leaning back in his chair. "I'm simply curious." Jack smiled but his posture remained rigid, weary of Godric's truthfulness.

"It's Eve, you see," Jack began, his voice quiet and sincere. "I'm just trying to protect my little girl. It's bad enough that her a dad is a vampire, and an ignorant one at that. I know very little about the vampire culture, so you can understand why I'd be hesitant to include my family in it."

Godric absorbed Jack's words, admiring the man for his convictions, even if they were uninformed.

"I see," he said. "Yet Eve says that you raised her to treat vampires as equals…"

"Oh, that's just Eve being Eve," Jack interrupted, smiling affectionately at his daughter. She blushed, embarrassed by the conversation that the two were having about her. "We've taught her what we can, but she's a smart girl – she's learned all of the big lessons on her own. I guess she saw that I could be a vampire _and_ a dad, and kind of took it from there."

Godric turned his eyes towards Eve, quickly replaying Jack's words in his mind. He thought of the effect that he had on younger vampires – the influence he held over them. The relationship between a parent and child was no different, yet Jack claimed that Eve was her own person, lead by her own beliefs. What goodness, what rationality, must lie inside of her, telling her not to fear those who are different. Godric smiled at her, a genuine smile of pleasure and understanding. She smiled back sleepily, her eyes dewy and remote; she was obviously tired. Godric longed to stay in this new setting with these new people, learning from their lives and experiences, but he reminded himself that any girl, especially a human girl, would be particularly exhausted after a night like tonight. He scanned the room for a clock and found one on the far wall, the hour hand inching towards the 6. The sun would be up soon, and Godric resolved to use this as his excuse to leave.

"It will be light soon," Godric noted, and Jack turned to the clock to confirm this observation. "Perhaps we should save this conversation for tomorrow." He had every intention of returning to this home – every intention of learning more.

"You're more than welcome to stay here!" Jack offered with eagerness.

"That won't be necessary," Godric laughed, standing from his position at the table. Jack and Eve followed his example, one jolting up with excitement, the other in a haze of fatigue. He was suddenly glad for his excuse to leave as he approached the door, needing the time to properly probe the events of the evening. Mere hours ago, he had been walking through the world in a stupor, going through the motions of 2000 years of experience. He had never expected to encounter the trouble, wonder, and emotional responses that the night had evoked. Was this unpredictability a symptom of his lost humanity? He couldn't remember the qualities that had once made him human.

"I'll return at sundown and we can discuss things then," Godric said, turning at the front door to bid the two farewell.

"We're looking very forward to it, sir," Jack said through a smile, grabbing Godric's hand and shaking it vigorously. Godric laughed awkwardly, so unused to Jack's interpretations of vampire customs. Yet he was glad for the gesture, using it as an excuse to shake Eve's hand.

"Thank you, Eve," he said, his gaze intent and piercing as he reached for her hand. Again he felt the heat of her flesh blaze against his own, felt her pulse pound in her wrist. Her skin was so foreign to Godric, and he yearned to discover more of it.

"Thank _you_, Godric," she replied softly, matching the fervor of his stare.

He let his palm linger against hers before darting into the night, his skin still tingling from the contact.


	7. He Who Asks

**As always, thank you for the wonderful reviews! They keep me writing. And please let me know if you see any problems with any of my chapters/have any suggestions or ideas. Enjoy!**

Godric had spent the day tossing and turning, warring with the sleep that threatened to overtake him. Rest had been his reprieve from the world, an escape from the tedium and monotony. Now it felt like a curse, devouring his precious waking hours. He had so much to think about – so much to ponder. The images of the previous night played out in his head like a film, taunting him with questions and concerns. He thought of the two lives he had almost taken; of the change in his behavior; of Jack and his secrets; but most of all, he thought of Eve. She was so strange and sweet, so brave and complex. But more than anything, she was human. She was flesh and blood and bone; a beating heart beneath warm skin. She was Godric's opposite in every possible way, and he couldn't help but be intrigued.

Godric left his nest as the sun's final rays sunk below the Earth, replaced by tiny flickering stars. This was the only sunshine that he could ever experience, trapped in an endless state of night. He often wondered what it would feel like to let the sun swallow him whole, the wonderful heat singeing his flesh. It wasn't that he had a death wish: simply that he was curious, desperate to decipher what he didn't understand.

He arrived at Eve's house in seconds, his age adding to the intensity of his speed. The lights were on inside, casting a warm glow into the blue night. Godric listened closely as the old house breathed: he heard the clock ticking in the kitchen, the water flowing through the pipes, the refrigerator humming quietly. And there was a breath, short and forced, fusing with another breath, this one strong and wet. He sensed two beings pressed against one another, struggling for control. Bone hit bone with a hollow thud as one overpowered the other, pressing vulnerable flesh against the floor.

Eve was in trouble.

Godric raced to the front door and kicked it in with one blow, forcing it off of its hinges. Yet for all his brute strength, he was helpless, a prisoner of his vampire customs. He couldn't go inside without an invitation, and he was sure that Eve's attacker wouldn't be too welcoming. He hesitated on the doorstep, wondering how best to remedy the situation. With no other idea in his head, he resorted to panic.

"Eve!" He yelled into the bright house, his voice tinged with worry. No answer came and he called her name again, anger building inside of him. Godric wasn't one to lose his composure, especially over the life of a human, yet he could never live with the rules of being a vampire. He wanted to be free of these burdens; to leave behind the troubles and woes that had plagued him for centuries.

Suddenly Eve appeared in the hallway, her skin glowing against the rich green of her dress. She smiled at Godric and he felt a weight drop to the bottom of his stomach, as if his concern had manifested itself into something tangible.

"Godric," she said lightly, easily, before noticing the now doorless entry. "What _happened_?" She asked, her smile replaced with a bewildered frown. Godric was speechless for a moment, absorbing her presence and the fact that she was safe.

"You're OK." He said as calmly as possible, scanning her exposed skin for bruises or scrapes.

"Of course I'm OK. Why wouldn't I be?" She stared at Godric in puzzlement, her mind muddled by the scene before her.

"I heard a struggle," he said timidly, embarrassed by his behavior. It was troubling enough that he had overreacted, and even more so that he couldn't explain why. He watched Eve's face as she stared off for a moment, thinking of what he could be referring to. She laughed when the answer came to her.

"I wasn't struggling, Godric," she explained, looking at him as a mother looked at her child when answering a silly question. "I was playing with my dog."

"Dog?" he asked incredulously, his brow furrowing with confusion. He had seen no dog the night before, or even sensed one. Surely he would have been able to smell the beast.

"Yes, dog," she said playfully, obviously enjoying his bafflement. As if on cue, a fluffy white mutt came barreling down the hall towards him, slobber dripping from its mouth. Most animals hated Godric, easily sensing what he was. Yet this one was overtly friendly, making its affection apparent as it nuzzled into Godric's legs. Godric wasn't used to the presence of animals, especially genial ones, and he took an awkward step to the side, hoping to dodge the dog's nudges.

"Sam, stop!" Eve commanded, grabbing the dog by his collar and pulling him towards her. "I'm sorry. He loves new people." New people, maybe, but new vampires? Godric tried to make sense of the animal's behavior, reasoning that the dog did, after all, live with a vampire.

"I'm the one who should apologize," he said lamely, looking from Eve to the door. "I acted foolishly." She laughed nervously in hopes of expelling the tension from the moment.

"It's OK. My dad has a tendency to break a lot of things. Vampires don't realize how strong they are." She stopped abruptly, blushing at her words. She had again explained Godric's own behavior to him. He smirked a sideways smile at her, the two of them standing in silence for a moment, their eyes tightly locked on one another. Eve shook herself from her stupor and remembered her surroundings.

"Please come in," she offered, pulling Sam back to allow Godric space to enter. He took a hesitant step inside, scanned the area, and walked directly to the discarded door, picking it up effortlessly and setting it back on its hinges.

"This will do for now," he said to Eve, smiling apologetically.

"It's OK," she laughed, releasing a now subdued Sam from her grip. "My dad will fix it when he gets home."

"He isn't home now?" Godric asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Not at the moment, no," she explained reluctantly, afraid that maybe Godric was disappointed. "He said he'd be back later tonight but that he had something important to do – something that he couldn't miss." Godric pondered her words for a second, suspicious of the circumstances. Jack had never formally introduced himself to Godric before last night, and now he was missing from his own home despite the fact that his sheriff had promised to come back. Godric couldn't shake the feeling that Jack was hiding something from both him and Eve.

"Is everything alright?" Eve asked, her eyes flickering with concern. Godric quickly forgot his thoughts, consumed by the compassion that he saw in those green spheres. He traced the features of her face with his mind's eye, committing them to his memory: the rosy mouth, the milky skin, the blood that pumped through her veins. A hearty pulse throbbed in her neck and Godric swore that he could hear her heart beating inside of her chest. She bit her lip nervously and blood rushed from the spot, changing from pink to white and back again. For a fleeting moment, he craved that spot; yearned to feast on it.

"Everything's fine," he assured her, holding out his hand to let Sam sniff it. The dog rubbed his wet nose against Godric's skin and he smiled at the feeling. They weren't such terrible creatures.

Unable to contain his wonder, Godric lightly patted the dog on the head before walking towards the living room. He heard Eve follow as he observed the dozens of bookshelves, taking in the impressive collection. There were old books that reeked of bygone eras; new books with fresh, creaseless spines; and loved books, ones that had been thumbed through hundreds of times. Shakespeare sat next to Poe, Hemingway beside Austen.

"These are your father's?" he asked, running his finger along a dusty spine.

"Some of them," Eve answered, coming to stand by his side. "And some of them are mine. It's hard to say where one collection ends and the next one begins. I think after a while, we just decided to throw everything together. Makes things more interesting, don't you think?" She stared at the books with as much awe as Godric, as if she were seeing them for the first time. They clearly meant a lot to her, regardless of the fact that they were mere objects. Godric had learned long ago that worldly possessions were fleeting, meant for the dull and shallow. Yet Eve's adoration for these books was endearing; Godric felt that her attachment lied with the words, not the actual pages.

"Do you have a favorite?" he asked, and she stared at him for a moment. Godric sensed that Eve wasn't used to the kind of attention that he paid her.

"Maybe this one," she said quietly, pointing to a worn red cover. The title _The Iliad_ shimmered in faded gold and Godric smiled to himself, impressed by her choice. He knew the story better than she could ever imagine.

"And this one?" Godric asked, holding up a paperback entitled _You and Your Vampire_. Eve blushed before snatching it from his hands, hiding it behind her back.

"That's nothing, really. I think it's my dad's."

Godric arched an eyebrow as he picked up another book, this one called _The Idiot's Guide to Vampires_. Eve's blush deepened from magenta to scarlet, and she looked around the room, hoping to quickly diffuse the situation. She walked to another bookshelf and began to study the titles, hoping Godric would follow suit. He smiled and decided to play along, not wanting to further embarrass her.

"These were my mother's," she said dreamily, and Godric looked quickly to her face, disturbed by her sudden change in tone. All remnants of her shame were gone, replaced with a dazed stare. Godric was learning that Eve often went to different times in her head, her eyes turning distant and dark. He wondered if her memories were as detailed as his – as disturbing as his.

"Were?" he asked, catching her use of the past tense.

"She left," Eve began, looking at the rows of books for a moment longer before turning her attention to Godric, her eyes as bright as seaglass. "She couldn't handle the idea of being married to a vampire – she would have rather been a widow. So she left one night without saying goodbye. She didn't even take her things. Her clothes, her books, her family – all still here."

Godric stared at Eve as she swallowed deeply, fighting the sadness that welled up inside of her. Before tonight, he couldn't be bothered with human emotions, especially when they were so unstable. People were controlled by their feelings, consumed by love, anger, fear, sorrow. Godric saw this as a weakness; he had learned to live without emotions, letting his primal instincts rule his being. Yet Eve, for all of her plainness, was different. Godric sensed that Eve's emotions came not from her brain but from her heart, stemming from the very core of her soul. She was a human in the simplest terms, devoid of any guise or façade.

"Eve," Godric began, unsure of what he meant to say. The polite thing to do would be to apologize, but Godric knew that Eve would see past his forced sympathies. She gazed at him expectantly, their bodies closer than he had remembered. Again he found her scent, the metallic flavor of her blood mixing with the beads of sweat that swelled on her chest. His head inched closer to hers as he inhaled, his mouth watering with expectations.

_BOOM._

A loud thud rang through the house as the front door was pushed off of its unstable hinges. Eve jumped at the noise and Godric placed himself between her and the entryway, his body tensed for an ambush. Jack entered and the two relaxed, but only momentarily. The man was walking death, his face and clothes covered in dirt. His skin was dotted with scratches that were slowly healing, the red of his blood covered by his pearly flesh. His energy was frantic as he looked from Eve to Godric, taking in the two figures before letting a raspy whisper escape his mouth.

"_Run_."


	8. He Who Disturbs

**Hi everyone! As someone pointed out to me in the last chapter, I made a little mistake by not allowing Godric to enter Eve's house. That was due to lack of research on my part, and if anyone feels it necessary, I'll go back and fix the content. Otherwise, let's pretend that it didn't happen/chalk it up to being a condition of my alternate universe. Like I said, this is my first story in a few years, so I'm still getting used to the flow of writing. I know that this chapter is super short, but I'm trying to find a balance between keeping you guys interested and developing a legitimately interesting plot. I hope you can bear with me – I **_**promise**_** that the next few chapters will be longer! Enjoy!**

Jack looked back and forth between Godric and Eve, his eyes frantic and wild.

"Why are you standing there?" he asked fiercely, a single vein jutting out of his forehead. "We have to run! We have to leave!"

"Dad…" Eve began, at a loss for what to do. Godric looked to her quickly and saw the confusion and fear on her face, as if she had never seen her father in such a state.

"What happened?" Godric asked for Eve, turning his attention back to Jack. He was nothing more than curious, knowing that any opponent, however sizable, was also beatable. And of what he knew of Jack, Godric was sure that the young vampire was simply overreacting, investing too much in an easily remedied matter.

"There's no time to explain," Jack answered, nervously pacing around the room. Sam followed his owner around excitedly, begging for his attention with barks and whimpers. Jack silenced the mutt with one roar, and the dog retreated into a corner. "Eve, I want you to go to your room and pack your things."

"Dad, please tell me what's going on," Eve pleaded, her eyes dewy with the tears she had worked so hard to repress. Jack stopped in his tracks, undone by the sight of his daughter in distress. His face fell into a frown as he reached for her, longing to provide a bit of comfort. He didn't have the chance to make it to her side before the sound of shattered glass echoed through the house. The front window had been broken from the outside, the shards tinkling like wind chimes as they fell to the ground. Suddenly another window exploded, and another, all at once, throwing millions of bits of glass through the air like fireworks. Without thinking, Godric threw his body over Eve's, protecting her from the onslaught of tiny daggers that flew in every direction. Window after window popped and cracked, creating a fine mist that lingered in the air. And then there was nothing; the house was silent save three heavy breaths.

"Are you alright?" Godric asked Eve as he unwound his arms from her waist. He would have liked to savor the feel of her body, but his vampire instincts had taken over, throwing him into survival mode. He wouldn't have been able to decipher the warmth of a woman's embrace from a cold slab of marble.

"I'm fine," she said shortly, still in a daze. She looked not to her own skin but to Godric's and her father's, gasping at the sight of thousands of bright red cuts. She knew vampires healed quickly, but she also knew that they could hurt just as badly as any human. "Thank you," she said quietly, hesitantly meeting Godric's gaze. He would have liked to stay in that moment forever, reveling in Eve's safety and the gratitude he found in her eyes.

Before either could speak, a dark figure sprang through one of the empty windows, landing effortlessly on his feet. More bodies followed, each jumping through a separate window, their entrances accompanied by sharp whistles of wind. Godric sandwiched Eve between Jack and himself as the three were surrounded by the menacing beings, their faces hidden in shadows. One last whistle reverberated through the building as a man entered through the doorway. He was taller than the others, leaner, too, dressed in a fine suit of the purest black. His skin was white and sallow, his hair a shock of red slicked back atop his head. He fumbled absently with his cuffs, as if bored by the situation. He looked up at his three captives and his blue eyes snapped to Godric's face.

"Sheriff," he said lightly, his expression shifting from indifference to momentary fear.

"Silas," Godric said in kind, nodding at the greeting. The two seemed out of place in the frenzied setting, neither one relinquishing his cool and calm demeanor.

"What a pleasant surprise," Silas said, forcing a smile. Godric instantly saw past the charade, knowing that Silas was on the verge of bursting. The two vampires had known each other for decades, dating back to when Silas was first turned at the end of the 19th century. He was a proud creature, believing himself above not only humans, but other vampires, as well. Worse than that, he was driven by his sexuality, using both his haunting good looks and supernatural skills to seduce any creature. Godric knew that Silas could sense Eve's presence; knew that he was lusting after her ripe human flesh. The thought made Godric sick with rage.

"It would be a bit more pleasant if your friends backed down," Godric replied easily, looking at the men around him. Silas nodded and the figures stepped back; it was clear that they had more respect for Silas than they did for their own sheriff. The small gesture of compliance was proof of Godric's fears: these vampires were more than subordinates – they were members of the vampire mafia, lead be Silas's cruel hand. Godric had known for years that Silas would do anything and everything in his power to usurp his place as sheriff of the area. Unfortunately, he had no proof of the dirty deeds and vicious slaughters that the group was notorious for: only hearsay and a hunch.

"My apologies, sheriff. My friends tend to be a bit…_overzealous_," Silas explained, a slimy smirk glued to his face. His eyes darted to Eve's cowering form, quick as lightening, and Godric tensed. He didn't want any other vampire near Eve, especially not one like Silas. She was Godric's discovery – Godric's human.

"Your friends?" Godric asked through clenched teeth. "Or your _men_?" Silas's eyes blazed feverishly, but his expression remained placid. He shrugged off the question with a nervous laugh, quickly changing the subject.

"Tell me, sheriff – what brings you here?" Silas inquired casually, as if they were two old friends who hadn't seen one another in years. He perched on the arm of an overstuffed chair, lightly running his hands through Sam's fur. His fingers were long and skeletal, his hands dark and bloodied at the knuckles.

"I could ask the same of you, Silas." Godric was not amused by his fellow vampire's demeanor, especially as he looked to Eve and saw the fear deep within her eyes. Jack held her close, his head resting atop hers as they shrank away from the rest of the group.

"Perhaps you should ask our mutual friend, Jack," Silas offered, his expression now mischievous and cold. He was like a child who had caught their sibling in a compromising act; he was anxious to enjoy Jack's ensuing shame. Godric turned to Jack and saw the sorrow on the man's face, knowing that he had desperately tried to avoid this moment.

"Dad?" Eve asked softly, turning her head upwards to meet her father's eye. Silas smiled at the sound of her voice: it was so meek, so fragile, so deliciously human.

"How charming," Silas noted quietly, almost under his breath. He made the comment for no one but himself, but Godric heard the words as clear as a bell. His blood boiled as an unexplainable fury raged inside of him, fueled by the intensity of Silas's scrutiny of Eve. Silas drank in every inch of her with his stare, his eyes lingering on her most private and vulnerable parts. Godric was nearly overwhelmed by his anger, now compelled not by his gratitude, but by his genuine interest in Eve – an interest rooted in her utterly human frailness.

"Leave," Godric growled fiercely, taking everyone in the room by surprise.

"Sheriff?" Silas feigned polite confusion, masking his amusement. He had penetrated Godric's thick shell and found a weakness.

"_Now_," was the only word that Godric could mutter, his teeth digging into the pale skin of his lips. Silas lifted one eyebrow in confusion but easily conceded, beckoning his men forward as he rose from the chair. He looked again to Eve and then Godric, his eyes challenging the older vampire to make a move. Silas would use any excuse, any provocation, to aid in Godric's demise.

"Pity we couldn't chat longer, sheriff," Silas began, following the last of his men out the front door. "I'm sure we'll see each other soon." He threw a sly wink in Godric's direction before darting into the black night, the wind howling behind him. Godric seethed as the anger slowly evaporated from his body, replaced with relief and arrant confusion. He blinked quickly and took in his surroundings, his mind hazy. Why had he acted in such a way? Nothing had provoked him so fiercely in as long as he could remember. At a loss for what to do, he turned to Eve and Jack. They remained in an embrace, Jack's eyes closed in quiet frustration. Yet Eve's were open and wide, the green sparkling like an emerald underwater. The two stared at each other for a moment, both looking for answers to the millions of questions that swarmed in their minds.

"Jack," Godric said, causing the other vampire's eyes to snap open. "Tell me everything."


	9. He Who Admits

**Here's a longer chapter for you! Reviews are love, so keep them coming. Enjoy!**

The room was silent aside from the sound of an unyielding breeze that wafted through the now empty window frames. Godric stared expectantly at Jack, waiting for him to explain the mess he had made. But Jack was distant; he looked out into the night longingly like a werewolf who yearned to roam under the full moon. Godric knew that Jack had tried for years to keep his secret safe, and that it would take more than one request to crack his steely shell.

"Jack," Godric began, infusing his voice with a hint of malice. "As your sheriff, I demand to know what's going on."

Jack looked at Godric then, his green eyes hazy. He hesitantly released Eve from his embrace, leaving her to stand awkwardly alone in the middle of the room as he took a seat on the worn leather couch. He clasped his hands and rested his elbows on his knees, racking his brain for the best way to begin his story. Eve wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold, and Godric silently marveled at the tiny goose bumps that rose on her arms. How marvelous human skin was, to shift and contort with the changing temperature. He couldn't remember the last time his own pale flesh had sprouted the peculiar spots, if ever.

"Lucy," Jack whispered, breaking Godric's trance. He stared at Jack for a moment before returning his attention to Eve. Her face was now as rigid and remote as her father's; it was evident that she knew the name well.

"What does mom have to do with any of this?" Eve asked in a whisper, hugging her arms tighter around her body.

"She's the reason for all of this, Eve," Jack began, his eyes apologetic as he gestured to the chair across from him. Eve sat down reluctantly, the two of them suddenly oblivious to Godric's presence.

"Remember when your mother and I would fight? And I would always leave? I'd go to this bar on the edge of town, away from everything, where no one would know me. And I would drink myself stupid. First things would seem worse, but then they would seem better, like I didn't have a care in the world. Remember when I'd come home and we'd make pancakes together? You looked at me like I was Superman – like I could do anything. Those were the moments I lived for. Those were the moments that kept me alive."

It was only when Eve let out a loud sniffle that Godric knew she was crying, burrowing her head into her chest to hide the tears. Jack looked to Godric before he continued, angry at the older vampire for subjecting his daughter to such cruelty.

"But one night," he resumed. "Something was different. We fought, I left, I drank – everything was the same. Until I was walking to my car, fumbling with my keys. I remember dropping them into the dirt, and then everything went dark, like a heavy tarp had been thrown over my eyes. When I came to, there was a man standing over me, unlike any man I'd ever seen in all my life. His eyes were like two black stones, devoid of any humanity. He smiled at me and told me that I wasn't human anymore: that I was this…_monster_ that I am today. Of course I didn't believe him at the time; I thought he was just another drunk. But then he showed me things, things I couldn't explain. The fangs, the speed, the strength. And when I saw blood on the ground – my own blood – something inside of me snapped. This wild hunger took over all of my senses, and as hard as I tried to fight it, something told me that this stranger was telling the truth."

Godric studied Eve's expression as intently as he listened to Jack's story, realizing that this was the first time she had heard these details. A small sense of guilt built up inside of him; he hadn't meant to cause her such anguish.

"What about mom?" Eve choked out anxiously between her tears.

"Lucy," Jack sighed again, and Godric swore that he could see the reflection of Jack's wife in his eyes, as if she were standing in the room with them. "The night after I was changed, my maker, as you call him, followed me home. He said he was hungry and that I owed him a meal for turning me into this 'supreme being.' When I refused, he lost control and went after Lucy. I don't remember much after that; I went into a trance. I just remember snapping off one of the bedposts and using it to stake him straight through the heart. I would have done anything to protect my family."

The last sentence was made as a plea to Godric, Jack was thinking that maybe he would be punished even further for his crime. Godric's brow furrowed but he did nothing more, trying his best to absorb all of the information that Jack was giving him.

"How was he able to enter your home?" Godric asked, and Jack snorted, trying his best to mask his embarrassment.

"I invited him in, just like I invited Silas in. I was a fool then and I'm a fool now. I fell for their promises to teach me to be a vampire. I thought they were trying to help me."

"Silas knew your maker?" Godric asked, his eyes darting back and forth between father and daughter. He wanted to catch every ounce of Jack's story whilst still maintaining his vigil on Eve.

"They were brothers," Jack said shamefully, casting his eyes towards the ground like a wounded puppy. "You can imagine how displeased Silas was to hear about me killing his brother. But he said I was a young and impressionable vampire, and that it was ultimately his brother's fault for not training me properly. He said he would spare my life if I made it up to him."

"Silas had a brother," Godric said to himself, wondering how he had gone so long without knowing. "Your maker – what was his name?"

"Julian," Jack said absently, his eyes fixed on Eve. Godric bore deeply into his own mind, into the centuries of knowledge stored there, and found nothing relating to the name. This vampire was new to him, just as Jack was new to him, and Godric was suddenly uneasy. How many vampires went unnoticed? How many lived reckless, careless lives right under his nose? He shook the thought and returned his attention to the moment, knowing that now was not the time to let his worry get the best of him.

"You said Silas offered to let you make it up to him," Godric recalled, recapturing Jack's attention. "What did he propose?" Jack swallowed hard at the question, knowing that neither Godric nor Eve would be pleased with the answer.

"He said I could bring him humans," Jack sputtered quickly to alleviate the pain, like tearing off a Bandaid with one swift jerk. Eve gasped at his words and both men looked to her, one ashamed, the other concerned.

"You killed humans?" she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief. A fresh batch of tears welled in her swollen eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Godric stood between the two, unsure of what to do. He yearned to comfort Eve, to punish Jack, to understand everything; so many things that he knew he couldn't do, at least not now. He had to act as a vampire would, stern and precise, lacking any emotion that threatened to interfere with his better judgment.

"I didn't kill them," Jack clarified, a few drops of red spilling from his own eyes. "I brought them to Silas and let him do whatever he did with them. I never asked; I didn't want to know." A strange chuckle broke from Eve, both disgusted and amused at what her father deemed justification.

"What did you do to provoke them tonight?" Godric wondered, trying to seize control of the moment. Jack sighed heavily, annoyed with the barrage of questions, but Godric had no intention of stopping. He rarely abused his powers as sheriff, but Jack's story was one that Godric was more than anxious to fully uncover, even if he had to force every answer. A tiny voice nagged at Godric's mind, asking him why he was suddenly such a curious and caring creature, but he quickly squashed the thought.

"After Eve brought you home last night, I saw that the answer had been in front of me the entire time; the solution to all of my problems. I tried to avoid you for so long, sheriff, because I knew that I would crack under the pressure and tell you everything. I thought that I would be punished for fraternizing with them. But then I saw how merciful and kind you are, and I realized that I should have come to you a long time ago. So I told them that the deal was off – that I wanted nothing more to do with them."

"You believe that I am the solution to your problems?" Godric repeated, and the other man looked at him quickly, a hint of amusement sparkling in his eye.

"Of course, sheriff," Jack replied. "Don't you see? Eve was meant to bring you home to help us. Silas can't hurt us now that we have you."

Godric shook his head incredulously, bewildered by Jack's reasoning. He knew that Silas was no physical match for him, but he certainly couldn't take on a dozen vampires at once, especially ones that were so vile and cunning. And as sheriff of the area, it would be unheard of for him to engage in any sort of battle with the vampire mafia. Others would cry for trials and discussions; drawn out processes that Godric knew Silas would not adhere to. Godric wondered for a moment if he could strike some sort of deal with the mafia, but the thought was quickly extinguished. Silas would use this chance to slander Godric's name – and to exploit his weaknesses. It was then that Godric realized the severity of the situation, his eyes turning to Eve.

"I'm afraid that's not going to work," Godric said quietly to Jack, his eyes never leaving Eve's face. She looked up and met his gaze, her sniffles subsiding under the intensity of his stare. "Silas will use any reason, any chance, to aid in my demise. Now that he's found my weakness, he won't stop until he gets what he's after." Eve scanned Godric's face, her eyes roaming the planes of his pearly skin in hopes of making sense of his words.

"Am I your weakness?" she whispered, and Godric's face softened. He was suddenly unarmed by the sight of her curled up in the chair, her face blotchy and red from crying. Her hair tangled around her face and her chest heaved, her entire being lightly quivering with each vulnerable breath. He wished to touch her, to hold her, to run his finger down her spine and feel the chills emanate off of her warm body. He would take her away from here: somewhere safe where Silas wouldn't be able to touch her or hurt her. He would protect her from every evil thing that he had ever known or experienced.

"Excuse me," he said shortly, holding his head low as he walked outside. He needed to be alone with his thoughts, and more importantly, with the night. For as much as he loathed his existence of perpetual darkness, the night had been a constant companion, unwavering in its loyalty. It asked nothing of him as he stood on the front porch, breathing in the crisp air and trying his best to sort the contents of his head.

Years of experience and contemplation had taught Godric who he was; that, despite everything, he was really nothing more than an animal. He fed on blood, the most primal component of any living being, and what's worse, he had enjoyed it for a long time. It was only recently, within the last hundred years of his life, that remorse took hold of Godric's conscience and taught him what it meant to feel guilt. His guilt had turned to self hatred, and that hatred had turned to apathy. Yet all of these emotions and feelings were nothing compared to the things he had lived through in the past 48 hours. The world was coming at him from every direction, challenging his assuredness and everything he had ever known. He couldn't wrap his head around his sudden affection for such a simple human, nor could he explain the fear that gripped his heart every time he thought of her in danger.

"Godric?" He was startled from his daze by Eve's voice. She stood in the doorway, the light from inside almost completely blotting out her face. But he saw her clearly enough to know that as many thoughts were running through her head as there were through his. She approached him slowly, each step seeming to take a lifetime as she came to stand by his side. Before he could think of what to say or do, she reached her hand out and placed it in his, leaving it there to let the fire mingle with the ice. He looked down at their interlocked hands in wonder, unfamiliar with such an utterly human gesture. She was offering herself to him physically, saying that she trusted him enough to put her very life in his hands.

"Are you scared?" she whispered, and he slowly brought his eyes back to her face. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning. Her face, like her body, was open and inviting, telling Godric that she was there to offer whatever assistance she could.

"No," he lied. "Are you?"

"Of course," she answered simply. "I just found out that my father worked for the vampire mafia, and what's worse, he brought them human sacrifices. I think anyone would be scared in this situation." Her words created a vice around Godric's heart, tightening and pulling across his chest.

"I won't let anything happen to you," Godric said, the words slipping from his mouth before he had the chance to catch them. "Silas is no match for me."

"I know," she smiled, resting the weight of her body against Godric's. She dragged her thumb across his and he trembled at the overt display of affection, his knees going weak. "You know, it's OK if you're scared. Everyone gets scared."

And there it was: the reason for everything. Since the moment they had locked eyes in that diner, Eve had treated Godric as nothing more than her equal. He wasn't a 2,000-year-old vampire, nor was he a sheriff plagued with the heavy burden of responsibility. He was simply Godric, as gentle and capable of thought and emotion as any other human.

He stared at Eve in wonder, the moonlight illuminating the paleness of her skin. She matched the fervor of his gaze and licked her lips anxiously, absently coating them in a thin veil of moisture. Every bit of sense and reason told Godric that he could never be involved with a human; that he wasn't made to love anything or anyone. Yet at that moment, something greater was telling him to give in. To embrace his basest of urges and know that he could be part beast and part man at the same time. Slowly, quietly, he dipped his head to Eve's, her warm breath fanning out across his face. He pressed his mouth to hers and felt the velvet of her lips caress his skin, sending a shock to the very tips of his fingers. He lingered there for a moment, gently nibbling, before finally bringing himself to pull away from the sweetness of the kiss. When he opened his eyes, she was staring back at him, the green in her eyes echoing the lushness of a thousand forests. Godric had experienced happiness in his life, but nothing compared to the deadly bliss that he saw in Eve's eyes at that moment.


	10. He Who Conspires

**Sorry it took me so long to update! My best friend got married this weekend and everything's been a bit chaotic. I'll warn you now that there's a little naughtiness in this chapter, but the story is rated mature so you should have known that it was coming! Plus this stuff doesn't really phase me, so I hope you all feel the same way. Unless it phases you in a good way, of course. Enjoy!**

Godric watched with quiet awe as Eve walked through his home, surveying the stark landscape. He wondered what she thought of the sleek furniture, the strange artwork, the modern technology. This was a far cry from her cozy home, and he hoped that she would find some sort of peace in his dwellings. Godric, after bickering with Jack over the use of a hotel, demanded that father and daughter stay at his nest while their home was incapacitated. Godric was using his powers as sheriff more and more, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop. He reasoned that he would use any means to protect Eve and the things that were important to her.

"What's this?" Eve asked, picking up a stone statue of three intermingled figures. Godric smiled as he approached her, enjoying her unabashed curiosity. Part of him was jealous of all the things she had yet to discover and learn.

"Those are the Three Graces," he explained. "That was given to me a long time ago by a friend in Italy."

"A vampire friend?" Eve asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Of course," he smiled, and she studied his face with a calm fascination.

"I'd love to pick your brain someday. I can't imagine what kinds of stories you have locked inside of there." Godric's face fell into a frown; he knew that her statement was innocent enough, but he shuddered to think of the demons in his past. He resolved at that moment to hide the darkest depths of his history from Eve.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Godric considered her intently for a moment before lightly chuckling. He ran his thumb across her cheekbone, marveling at the silkiness of her skin under his own. Eve closed her eyes and nuzzled further into his hand, demanding more of his touch.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jack's voice broke through the haze of the moment, causing Eve to gasp and step away from Godric. She stood shamefaced for a second before setting the statue back down and muttering a quiet no. Things between Jack and Eve had been tense since his confession of being involved with the vampire mafia. Eve couldn't bring herself to give her father the benefit of the doubt, especially when he had hid such heinous crimes from her for so long. She felt betrayed by the one person who had always been there for her, and loss of such a trust was not easily regained.

"Eve," Jack began, sensing the discomfort that his daughter now felt towards him. Godric saw the sadness in the man's eyes and wished to be invisible: he was never one for emotional confrontations. Fortunately, Eve spoke for herself.

"Dad, I know you want things to be OK," she said, tripping over her words. "But I have a lot to think about. I would just rather sleep on this and talk tomorrow." Jack opened his mouth to protest but stopped, not wanting to make matters any worse. He simply nodded and looked from Eve to Godric, his eyes blazing with silent accusations. Ordinarily, Godric would use his common sense and reasoning to remedy the situation. But the truth was that Godric enjoyed the attention that Eve lavished on him, as if he were the only person she truly needed in the world. It felt good to be selfish; to truly want something all for himself.

A loud knock shattered the eerie silence in the room. Godric tensed, his head whipping in the direction of the door. Uninvited guests were rare in his home, and after a night like tonight, he knew that no good could come from this. Another knock came as he approached, this one louder and stronger. Godric motioned for Jack and Eve to step back as he placed a palm against the door, closing his eyes to enhance his other senses.

"Who is it?" he called.

"It's Boyd!" a muffled voice yelled on the other side. "Sheriff, we need to talk." Godric's ears twitched as his mind deciphered the tone and pitch of the voice, deciding if he was being deceived. All of his logic agreed that this was indeed Boyd, and he slowly unlocked the door and turned the handle.

His fellow vampire wore his perpetually carefree grin, but his eyes were worried and anxious. Boyd always made the best of situations, and Godric knew that only the most serious of matters could trouble his friend. Silently, Godric motioned Boyd inside, not daring to let any important words slip into the night. He could never be sure of who was listening just outside his own door, waiting for him to slip up.

"What brings you here tonight, Boyd?" Godric asked casually after closing the door.

"Sheriff, there's a situation, and…" Boyd trailed off as he saw Eve and Jack standing in the living room, looking from one vampire to the other. He turned an inquisitive glance towards Godric, knowing that his sheriff _never_ had company. "Is this a bad time?"

"No," Godric began, contemplating the best way to explain his guests. He considered lying, but knew that Boyd would see past any false front. "Boyd, this is Jack and his daughter Eve. They're staying with me while their home is being…repaired." Jack approached awkwardly and shook Boyd's hand, Eve following suit. Boyd muttered a few casual greetings before turning his attention back to Godric, his eyebrow arched in utter confusion.

"Sheriff, is there somewhere private that we could talk?" Boyd asked. Godric thought for a moment, looking to Eve and Jack. He saw the exhaustion on their faces, mingled with the anxiety and sadness that the night had evoked. Even a vampire of his own strength was weary after all that had happened, and he decided that neither of his guests should be subjected to any more chaos – at least not tonight.

"Eve, Jack, perhaps you two should retire to your rooms for the night." The two nodded and said their goodnights as they went to the guestrooms that Godric had shown them earlier. Godric watched Eve carefully as she turned down the hallway, throwing him a quick smile before disappearing after her father. He longed to give her a proper goodnight; to kiss her and touch her. But he knew that he had to maintain his calm and dignified demeanor in front of Boyd. It was bad enough that Silas saw his true feelings for Eve; he didn't need the whole world to know.

"Very well, Boyd," he said after hearing the two bedroom doors click shut. "What is it that you need to discuss?"

"Well, sheriff, I'm not sure where to begin. I tried to talk to you about this at the restaurant, but things got a little muddled. Speaking of which, was that girl…"

"Yes," Godric cut him off, knowing that Boyd had instantly recognized Eve from the diner. Boyd shrugged his shoulders before going on, sensing that his sheriff didn't want to elaborate on the subject.

"You see," Boyd continued nervously, not wanting to anger Godric. "There have been more human disappearances than usual lately, and we believe that Silas has something to do with it." Godric stiffened at the mention of Silas's name.

"Why was I not informed of this earlier?" he asked calmly, his blood beginning to boil.

"Well, in the beginning, we thought that maybe it had something to do with those damn shape shifters or whatever you want to call them. But after we heard about what happened tonight at that house…"

"You knew about that?" Godric asked, shocked at how quickly the news had spread. He was suddenly more than angry; he was worried about how many vampires knew about Jack and Eve.

"Vampires aren't very good at keeping secrets, sir," Boyd replied sheepishly. "And we think that some of his men purposely spread the word. I have a theory that Silas has been using these human deaths to provoke you, and now he seems more eager than ever to anger you. Word is that he's going to keep killing until you sacrifice your position…or yourself." Godric thought over Boyd's words, trying to put the pieces together.

"Was he going to use anything else to provoke me?" Godric tried his best to ask about any mention of Eve while at the same time hiding his true intentions. Boyd studied his sheriff's face and Godric knew that his question was more transparent than he had intended.

"Not that we know of, no." Boyd replied.

Godric let out a sigh of relief, but his friend's answer provoked more questions in his head. How long had Silas been planning this? How long had he been killing humans? Why hadn't he mentioned Eve? Godric knew the familiar look of lust and hunger that he had seen in Silas's eyes; knew that he noticed Eve's significance to Godric. Perhaps he wasn't as wise as Godric thought, or perhaps he was smarter than anyone could anticipate, masking his true objective with these senseless murders. Whatever the reason or means, Godric wouldn't be at peace until Silas was stopped. He had been given a second chance at life and happiness, and no man, vampire, or any other creature was going to take that away from him.

"We have to stop him," Godric said, and Boyd slowly nodded. "But we can't let anyone know what we're doing, Boyd. You know our laws – you know the consequences of killing another vampire." Boyd smiled slowly, and Godric saw in that instant that his old friend not only supported him, but agreed with him. He wanted Silas dead just as much as Godric did, and would do anything to aid in his demise. They were protecting more than a position or title: they were protecting their people.

"I have an idea, sheriff," Boyd said slowly, trying to gauge Godric's reaction before he showed any sort of glee or excitement. "If Silas is so keen on killing humans, perhaps we could send one to him that's been…spiked, so to speak."

"What are you talking about, Boyd?" Godric asked, and a devilish grin danced across his companion's wide face. Even in the most trying of times, Boyd could find a reason to smile.

"There's a new practice called Silvering in which silver is injected into a human's bloodstream. It doesn't harm the human, and Silas wouldn't be able to drink enough of their blood to truly hurt them. He'd be dead after two gulps. The only problem is putting the human in his path."

Godric had never heard of Silvering, and he wondered if something so new could truly be effective. He wouldn't sacrifice a human life – not if he could help it. But he knew that Silas wouldn't be the type to harm the human before drinking their blood; he wanted to hear his captive's screams as he drained the life from them. For Silas, the idea of feeding was almost sexual, especially when he was forced to use his brute strength. Godric shuddered at the thought, his mind absently placing Eve in place of one of Silas's helpless victims. That mental image alone was enough to push Godric over the edge of reason; his decision was made before he could argue with himself.

"We'll do it," Godric said with a nod, and Boyd finally let his full smile show.

"How do you propose we get the human to him?" Boyd asked, and the answer instantly came to Godric: Jack. He would use Jack's role in the mafia to deliver the human straight to Silas. Godric knew that the man wouldn't refuse the job, especially when Eve's wellbeing was on the line.

"I'll take care of that, Boyd," Godric said absently as he focused on the rain that had begun falling outside. "You should go now – we'll discuss this tomorrow." Boyd nodded as Godric escorted him to the front door; he wanted to stay and discuss the matter further, but he was aware of his sheriff's eagerness to attend to his guests.

"They say you just know," Boyd said to Godric as he opened the front door.

"Know what?" Godric asked, caught off guard by the comment.

"When you find your human – they say you just know."

X X X

Thunder rumbled and lightning crashed as Godric walked down the hallway, the floors lightly creaking under his feet. He stopped outside of Jack's specially darkened room and listened closely to the familiar silent slumber of a vampire. When he was sure that Jack was more than asleep, he crept further down the hall towards Eve's room. The sun would be up in a few hours, and he wished only to check in on her, to make sure that she was sleeping soundly.

He opened her door quietly to see that her window was wide open, and his heart began to pound out of his chest. It wasn't until his eyes found her sleeping form in the darkness that he was able to calm down, assuring himself that she had simply forgotten to close the window. He darted across the room and pulled the panes shut before any more rain could soak the floor. The storm outside raged louder and louder and Godric wondered how Eve could sleep through such madness. He stared outside for a moment longer before turning his eyes towards her; her skin was illuminated by the pale moon, each bolt of lightning changing her face from blue to white. Her expression was serene, like a sleeping baby without a care in the world. After everything that had happened, Godric knew that only the strongest of people could still find serenity at the end of the day, and he admired Eve for that. She would never be the type to give up; never be the type to break down.

It was then that Godric realized how intensely exhausted he was. He may have possessed superhuman strength and speed, but he, too, became overwhelmed with everyday occurrences. More than anything else, his mind felt weak. It had been so long since he had properly used his brain to think and feel as he once did, and the muscles seemed to pull and strain harder than usual. He knew that the next few days would be a whirlwind, and that rest would be his greatest ally. He zoomed back to the door and began to slowly pull it shut behind him.

"Godric," Eve's voice broke through the darkness and Godric froze, wondering if he had truly heard her. His heart raced and his fingers tingled as he waited for her to say something more. He was too flabbergasted to say something first, embarrassed at being caught in her room.

"Is that you?" she whispered.

"Yes," he replied evenly, opening the door so she could properly see him. She sat upright now, her hair tousled from sleep. She was the most beautiful creature that Godric had ever seen, utterly effervescent in her dishevelment. "I apologize. I was just…"

"Stay with me," she said resolutely. Godric blinked at the determination in her words, and her eyes began to plead with him. "Please."

The rain pelted the window as Godric slowly approached the bed. His mind was a jumbled mess of words and feelings, and he wondered if he would even be capable of speech at that moment. As he lifted a corner of the blanket, he saw Eve's vulnerable body underneath: she wore an oversize Oxford that fell past her hips, her pale legs sticking out the bottom. Her thighs were slightly parted, and Godric's mouth watered at the sight of the creamy, ample flesh. He pulled into the deepest depths of himself for control as she slid over in the bed and the shirt rode up, showing a sliver of her purple underwear. Hesitantly, swallowing hard, Godric climbed into the large bed and allowed Eve to nestle her body against his. Every inch of him went hard as stone as she burrowed against him, the scent of her hair filling his nose with flowers and musk. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her closer, not allowing for a single inch between them. He felt her full breasts press against his chest; felt her hips gently thrust into his. A few seconds ago, he would have been ashamed of the stiffness that swelled between his legs. But now, as he held Eve close, running his hands lightly up and down her back, he knew that he was in the right place with the right person. Every woman that he had ever been with melted away, each conquest easily forgotten. Godric knew that they had simply been practice for his time with Eve; that nothing would ever compare to the elation he felt when he was with her.

"You're so cold," she whispered, and Godric laughed, placing a kiss on top of her head. She looked up at him then and he saw a challenge dance in her green eyes. "Are your lips cold, too?"

Before he could answer, Eve boldly pressed her open mouth to his. Her lips closed around his and she lightly sucked, setting off a wild hunger in Godric. The beast in him took over as he matched Eve's fervor, sucking and nibbling on her soft lips. She bit down hard on his bottom lip and pulled it towards her, causing every nerve in his body to tingle wildly. The hunger intensified and he coaxed her mouth open with his own, slowly sliding his tongue inside. He licked and lapped at the inside of her mouth, their tongues dancing and swirling with one another. She bit down on his lip again, this time harder, and a growl rumbled deep in his throat.

Godric was in a daze as he gently pushed Eve's shoulders down against the mattress, crawling on top of her lush body. He continued to shower her with feverish kisses as his hands slowly explored her body, brushing the silky skin of her thighs. His palms found her breasts and he kneaded them greedily through the thin fabric of her shirt, her nipples becoming hard and pronounced. She whimpered and writhed with pleasure, and Godric was nearly undone by the sounds that his hands elicited from her. His body began to grind against hers in rhythm with his busy tongue, each making a lazy figure 8. Slowly, expertly, Godric undid a button on Eve's shirt, and then another, and another, until his cool hand was able to slip inside. He found the velvety skin of her breast and began to roll the peak between his fingers, relishing the quivers that danced through her body. He suddenly wanted to taste every inch of her; to lick and lap and make her scream until she was hoarse.

As his hands roamed her body, his body shifting positions to better taste her, he felt something unexpected: her heartbeat. It danced wildly under his palm, stilling his entire being. Eve pulled away when she realized that Godric was no longer kissing her, her brow furrowed with worry.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, her eyes full of concern. But Godric couldn't bring himself to speak. He simply listened as each beat grew stronger and stronger, the thuds bounding through her chest to reach his hand. His eyes were hazy with lust and fascination as he studied Eve's face, a smile slowly creeping across his mouth. She smiled back at him and he found his awe deepening. This was what it was like to have a human; to care for a living creature. At that moment, he literally had Eve's life in his hands, and if he wanted to, he could reach inside of her and end it all. But Godric hadn't been that monster for centuries, and as he looked into Eve's adoring eyes, he vowed to never be that monster again. Life was too precious.

"You should sleep," he said suddenly, and Eve's face fell into a frown. Through the veil of passion, Godric could read the pure exhaustion in her eyes. It took all of his might to control his lust and subdue the beast within, but Godric knew that now wasn't the time to make such a strenuous physical demand.

"Will you stay?" she asked, her tone indicating that she was ready for rejection. He chuckled and brushed a tendril from her damp forehead, lightly placing a kiss in its place.

"Yes," he replied, and she beamed before stifling a yawn. Godric laughed as he pulled himself off of her still shaking form, pulling her body closer to his. Her back locked against his chest, their nooks and crannies meeting as perfectly as two pieces of a puzzle. Within minutes, Godric could hear Eve's steady breath. She was asleep, and he was truly and utterly happy.


End file.
